Trends in Spring Fashion

Each season ushers in new fashion trends. They are often revivals of older fads or borrowed from other cultures but with a modern twist. With a brutal winter behind us in New York I’ve noticed a lot of the styles this spring suggests a much-welcomed lightness with items from the past.
If you have a flat stomach, flaunt it as crop tops, which were popularized by Madonna in the 80’s are back in full swing. DKNY, Diane Von Furstenberg and Jill Stuart are sporting a tank top version but I’ve also seen some with short sleeves.
How about some culottes to go with your crop top? Culottes for women are split skirts. They were originally used to make horse back riding easier but now are more about the look than usefulness. Emporio Armani and Alexander Wang have beautifully tailored pairs that are suitable for both work and play. Along these lines, longer wide leg pants are also back in fashion. You can wear these with low healed pumps, another 80’s favorite that are making a comeback.
Tea length skirts and dresses are also popular in a variety of renditions including prints, solids, lace and sheer. You can wear these with sandals or lace ups.
If you want to show off more of your legs, surf shorts are en vogue. Tibi and Anna Sui are two places in NY that are selling floral patterned and otherwise highly styled silk versions that are beautiful but don’t dare to wear them in water.
What Glamour dubbed as “Tuxedo Meets Athletic Stripe Trousers,” takes a page right of the uniform industries book as our doormen’s uniforms often have the same stripe on the side. J. Crew has even gotten into this act with black leather leggings and a white tuxedo stripe.
Sheer, patterns and fringe are also in. Some of the sheer is more revealing than others of course and I’ve seen the spectrum from nearly fully transparent tops to more suggestive lightly colored fabrics.
Playful as sheer and patterns may be, fringe might be the most fun. In addition to fringe jackets, it is also being used as trim on dresses, tops and shoes.
Color wise, pastels are in again, with pink being especially popular. Orange is also enjoying its day in the sun, spicing up outfits that are otherwise not very noticeable.
I guess I can go on and on. One thing though is that a lot of the spring fashions seem to flow and suggest comfort. With one snowstorm after another, I am happy to shed a few layers and know I can do it without losing my style.